The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle, for the Year ...

A remarks: The gross blunders in the Record Calendars, upon the printing of which the public have expended so much money, and the Commissioners so little care, have been exposed in very many instances. I question, however, whether there can be exhibited a more glaring concentration of enormities than in the following case in the Index to the first volume of the Inq. p. Mortem, to which I had lately occasion to refer. Under the head of St. Amond are nine references, only three of which are correct. The rest are all St. Andrew, and even these are not correct, inasmuch as John in the Index proves to be Ralph, and Richard to be Roger, &c. Let us hope that future Sub-Commissioners will not be permitted to lighten their labours while they darken their subject. It is bad enough to have a gutter of text in a plain of folio, but to be favoured with false direction-posts to these wells in the desert, is verily and indeed abominable! And then too, when we get to these fountains of pure water, we are only permitted to scoop up a tea-spoonful of information, which tea-spoonful is in many instances muddy and undrinkable, and to quench our thirst (for which as a public we have already paid so handsomely) we have, as individuals, to heap fee upon fee for the dragons who keep guard over the springs of knowledge, before the treasure can be even gazed upon facit indignatio querelas."

K. M. "having gone into the City a few days ago in an omnibus, took a walk over the new London Bridge, and stept into the church of St. Mary Overie, now called St. Saviour's. How beautifully (he remarks) the choir part is fitted up for service; and the altar screen, though upon a smaller scale, appears little, if at all, inferior in the elegant proportions and arrangement of its parts to that of Winchester. The restoration of the Lady Chapel will be at least one instance of good taste in the present age. The whole eastern façade of the building being opened to view, forms now a very fine and striking object in the approach from that quarter towards London Bridge. The bridge itself commands a rich view of spires and towers and pinnacles,—along with the majesty of St. Paul's. But I could not help making one remark,— which applies to almost every part of the metropolis. The large, clumsy, heavy, flat, box-looking buildings of the present day, where greatness of dimension ap

pears to be the sole aim, without any regard of just proportion to the relative bulk of surrounding objects of far more elegance in themselves, are very prejudicial to the general effect. Fishmongers' Hall diminishes in this way the consequence of numerous City spires and towers, which have the further disadvantage of greater distance to increase the contrast of size, and lessen their comparative importance. These were in good proportion before, to the old common-sized houses. Carltonterrace in the same way injures the Horse Guards, &c. Perhaps this evil may proceed from an ill-judged imitation of the Modern Athens. Even the elegant St. Saviour's seems to crouch between two Edinburgh lands."

Z. would feel much obliged if any Correspondent or Secretary of a Scientific or Literary Society, would have the goodness to send a notice of the Societies in his own county, as it would be an object of considerable interest to ascertain how many and of what description are such institutions in England, and might enable scientific persons to correspond on particular points of local information. The writer is about to assist in the establishment of one in a county where there is at present nothing of the sort.

D. C. proposes that moderate sized tunnels, with steps to descend into them, should be made under the principal crossings of some of the most frequented streets, which would evidently be a very great security and convenience to footpassengers, crowded as some of those streets are, with omnibuses, cabs, &c. &c.: such as Cheapside, Newgate-street, Ludgatehill, Regent-street, Charing Cross, &c. &c. A policeman or street-keeper should be constantly on duty there to prevent nuisances, and the tunnels might be closed by doors at night.

The Communications of M. D., F. O., and PLANTAGENET, in our next. Our former Correspondent feels obliged to E. M-n.

The compiler of the memoir of Sir John Leach, in our last number, ought to have acknowledged that he was chiefly indebted for the character of the deceased to the Legal Observer.

Vol. ii. p. 646, b. 45, for J. Emra, Dr. Charlton, read R. Carrow, W. Knight, P. 651. Mr. Penn's brother's name should be "Granville" instead of "Grenville."

THE

GENTLEMAN'S

MAGAZINE.

MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF
MRS. HANNAH MORE.

BY WILLIAM ROBERTS, Esq. 4 vols.

HANNAH MORE, the youngest but one of the five daughters of Jacob More, who was descended from a respectable family at Harleston in Norfolk, was born in 1745, in the parish of Stapleton, in the county of Gloucester. Her mother was the daughter of a farmer, whose education had been plain and suitable to her station; but to whose soundness of judgment, and strong good sense in the culture and regulation of her children, the credit and success that attended them, has, as the biographer observes, been deservedly attributed. Mr. More was himself a Tory and High Churchman, the rest of the family were Presbyterians, and the daughters of Mr. Jacob More had frequently heard their father say that he had two great-uncles Captains in Cromwell's army. Mr. Jacob More's mother appears to have possessed a mind of more than ordinary vigour. She used to tell her younger relations, that they would have known how to value Gospel privileges, had they lived like her, in the days of proscription and persecution, when at midnight the worshippers went with stealthy steps through the snow, to hear the words of inspiration delivered by a holy man at her father's house, while her father, with a drawn sword, guarded the entrance from violent or profane intrusion; adding, that they boarded the minister and kept his horse for 107. per annum. Mrs. Hannah More was named after her mother's only sister, whose memory was so reverentially cherished in the family.-Hannah was distinguished even from an early age by great quickness of apprehension, retentiveness of memory, and a thirst for knowledge; when she was between three and four years old, she had taught herself to read, and repeated the catechism in the church in a manner which excited the admiration of the minister of the parish. Her nurse had lived in the family of Dryden the poet, whose son she had attended in his last illness; and the inquisitive mind of the little Hannah was continually prompting her to ask questions about the celebrated poet. At eight years old her love of learning was conspicuous, and her success so great in the advancement of her studies, that her father, who taught her the rudiments of Latin and the mathematics, was alarmed at her rapid progress towards what he considered female pedantry. The French language she learned from her elder sister, and from the society of some French officers settled in her neighbourhood. That there was some fascination in her manners, and intelligence in her conversation, we may presume from a curious anecdote that is mentioned. When she was about sixteen, a dangerous illness brought her under the care of Dr. Woodward, a physician of eminence in that day, and distinguished by his correct taste. On one of his visits, being led into conversation with his patient on subjects of literature, he forgot the purpose of his visit in the fascination of her talk; till suddenly recollect

ing himself, when he was half way down stairs, he cried out, " Bless me! I forgot to ask the girl how she was;" and returned to the room, exclaiming,How are you to-day, my poor child?" Among her early acquaintance, she was indebted for the improvement of her taste, and for the acquisition of just critical knowledge, to none more than to a linen-draper of the name of Peach, at Bristol, with whom the following curious story is connected. He had been the friend of Hume the historian, who had shown his confidence in his judgment by intrusting to him the correction of his History, in which he used to say he had discovered more than two hundred Scotticisms; but for him it appears that two years of the historian's life might have passed into oblivion, which were spent in a merchant's counting-house at Bristol, whence he was dismissed, on account of his being too apt to correct the letters he was commanded to copy. More than twenty years after the death of Mr. Peach, Hannah More being in company with Dr. Percy, Gibbon, and others, who were conjecturing what might have been the cause of this chasm in the life of Hume, of two years, was enabled to solve the mystery by relating the above anecdote. In her seventeenth year (1762) she wrote the pastoral drama, "The Search after Happiness," and soon after formed the acquaintance of Langhorne the poet, whose correspondence in 1773, begins the list of that illustrious company of scholars, poets, wits, historians, actors, Bishops, and Blue-stockings,* male and female, by whom Hannah More was received, with the attention and welcome due to her talents and conduct.

At the age of twenty, she cultivated with assiduity the Latin, Italian, and Spanish languages, improving her style by translations of Horace and Metastasio; while her theological studies were directed by Sir James Stonehouse, who had been many years a physician of great eminence at Northampton, but had afterwards taken orders, and settled at Bristol.About the age of twenty-two she received an offer of marriage from a gentleman of fortune, of the name of Turner, more than twenty years older than herself; after some deliberation she accepted it; but even after the bridal dresses were ready, from the capriciousness of his temper, it was broken off. Without any violation of delicacy, considering the age and respective situation of the parties, a settlement was made on her by Mr. Turner through Sir James Stonehouse; and at his death he bequeathed her a thousand pounds. Not long afterwards her hand was again solicited and refused; and as it happened in the former case, the attachment of the proposer was succeeded by a cordial and permanent respect. After this, Hannah quietly settled into perpetual virginity.

About this period she emerged from the privacy of domestic life, and appeared in the world of literature and fashion. Among her ardent and early desires, two appear to have been prominent,-to see Garrick perform the characters of Shakspeare, and to have a view of Johnson,† and

In a letter of 1778, she says, "I was last night in some fine company. One lady asked what was the newest colour? The other answered, that the most truly fashionable silk was a soupçon de vert, lined with a soupir etouffée et brodée de l'esperance. Now you must not consult your old-fashioned dictionary for the word esperance; for you will there find that it means nothing but hope; whereasesperance,' in the new language of the times, means rosebuds." Among Hannah More's female friends Mrs. Boscawen shines conspicuous. Mrs. Kennicott also appears to have been a charming person.

Mrs Bhaving repeatedly asked Johnson to look over her new play of The Siege of Sinope, he always found means to evade it. At last, she pressed him so

the other giants of literature. Accordingly, we now find her writing from her lodgings in Henrietta-street, Covent-garden, about young Sheridan's Rivals, or the Maid of the Oaks,—and breaking her heart if Garrick does not get well!-and dining with Sir Joshua, and visiting the Idler and Rambler. Her taste in painting does not appear to have been very perfect at this time, for we find her at Hampton-court, chiefly admiring some needle-work by good Queen Mary; and "not knowing a more respectable sight than a room containing fourteen Admirals, all by Sir Godfrey !" Her preference of Claremont to Bushy Park reminds us that it would be quite as handsome and genteel, if his Majesty the King of the Netherlands would permit the amateurs of fine scenery, the shepherds and shepherdesses of England, to have a peep at his deserted chateau, for the gratification of their leisure and the improvement of their taste. When we attempted to find entrance, the canine instinct knew a Reviewer

The surly mastiff growling at the gate,

Affrights the beggar whom he longs to eat.

In 1773 or 4, her introduction to Garrick took place, and then followed Mrs. Montagu, and the sage of Lichfield first met her view with a large macaw in his hand, and spouting some verses from one of her hymns.Miss Reynolds introduced her to Burke, concerning whom we are grieved to say, there is very little information or anecdote in Miss More's correspondWe would have gladly spared much of the general literary galaxy, to have obtained some closer peeps at this noble planet. We must give our young enthusiast's letter when she first enters the august precincts of Bolt-court.

ence.

London 1774.

We have paid another visit to Miss Reynolds; she had sent to engage Dr. Percy (Percy's Collection now, you know him), quite a sprightly modern, instead of a rusty antique, as I expected; he was no sooner gone, than the most amiable and obliging of women, Miss Reynolds, ordered the coach to take us to Dr. Johnson's very own house; yes, Abyssinian Johnson! Dictionary Johnson-Ramblers, Idlers, and Irene Johnson! Can you picture to yourselves the palpitation of our hearts as we approached his mansion? The conversation turned upon a new work of his, just going to the press (the Tour to the Hebrides), and his old friend Richardson. Mrs. Williams, the blind poet, who lives with him, was introduced to us. She is engaging in her manners, her conversation lively and en

tertaining. Miss Reynolds told the Doc-
tor of all our rapturous exclamations on
the road. He shook his scientific head
at Hannah, and said, She was a silly
thing!' When our visit was ended, he
called for his hat, as it rained, to attend
us down a very long entry to our coach,
and not Rasselas could have acquitted
himself more en cavalier. We are en-
gaged with him at Sir Joshua's on Wed-
nesday evening; what do you think of
us?
I forgot to mention, that not find-
ing Johnson in his little parlour when we
came in, Hannah seated herself in his
great chair, hoping to catch a little ray
of his genius: when he heard it, he
laughed heartily, and told her it was a
chair on which he never sat. He said
it reminded him of Boswell and himself,
when they stopt a night, as they ima-
gined, where the Wierd Sisters appeared

closely, that he actually refused to do it, and told her that she herself, by carefully looking it over, would be able to see if there was any thing amiss, as well as he could. But, Sir, (said she) I have no time; I have already so many irons in the fire.' Why then, Madam, (said he, quite out of patience,) the best thing I can advise you to do is, to put your tragedy along with your irons.'

* The youth, the sex, the unpretending goodness and virtue, and the talents of Hannah More, were sure to win the love and esteem of Johnson; his behaviour to her was parental and kind, and her presence lit up his brow with smiles. He continued,' she says, 'his jokes, and lamented that I did not marry Chatterton, that posterity might have seen a propagation of poets.'

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